Fall went out in a blazing 67 degree day of glory a couple weeks ago, and I think it’s now safe to say that it’s officially the season that shall not be named in Iowa.
Flurries seem to be fluttering around at all hours of the of day, static is dominating my life, and all I want is warm carbs. Tonight, to combat the now constant, chilly temps, I made the warmest, most comforting dinner I could think of. A cozy, culinary hug, if you will. Homemade Chicken & Dumplings.
I am obsessed with this dish!!! It takes a little bit of time to make if you’re going the 100% homemade route like I did, but it is so worth the effort!
This ultimate comfort food recipe is broken into two parts:
1. The chicken
2. The dumplings
Surprise!
The Chicken:
First we start with the chicken which, after simmering low and slow with aromatic vegetables, produces a savory and luxurious stock, and juicy shredded chicken for the Chicken & Dumplings. You’ll want a 4-5lb fryer chicken for the recipe. Take it out of the wrapping and remove the giblets inside.
Next, chop up aromatic vegetables including onion, celery and carrot.
Place the chicken and veggies into the largest stock or soup pot you’ve got, and pour in enough water to completely cover the chicken.
Simmer the chicken low and slow for an hour, and you’ll be rewarded with this.
The most succulent, juicy, tender chicken you ever did see. Rest on a plate for now.
Turn your attention back to the pot which now contains cups and cups of ultra-flavorful, homemade chicken stock.
Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the stock through it.
I got this cheesecloth from the regular grocery store in the disposable baking dishes and cooking utensils aisle, for about $2.50.
Discard the veggies, and you are left with pure, liquid GOLD my friends!
You should end up with around 12 cups of stock, 8 of which you’ll need for the Chicken & Dumplings.
FYI – after the stock cools, place it in the fridge and the fat will rise to the top and harden. Then you can just remove and discard.
After the chicken has cooled a bit, remove the meat from the bones, and shred it all up. You should get about 6-7 cups total from the chicken, but you’ll only need about 3 for the recipe.
The Dumplings:
Ok – part 1 = done. Time to turn our attention to part 2 – the dumplings! These puppies are pretty much foolproof. Start with flour, baking powder and salt, then cut in some butter.
You can use a pastry cutter, a fork – or go old school like me and use your fingers. Just squish the flour and butter between your fingers until it’s the texture of cornmeal.
Next, add in enough skim milk so that when you stir the dough with a fork, it comes together in a ball.
Place some of the dough onto a heavily floured surface. As in – no inch of the cutting board should be without a thick dusting of it.
Flour a rolling pin, and roll the dough pretty thin.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into approximately 2″ x 2″ squares – it doesn’t have to be perfect. I showed my inner Type A the doorwith this recipe in regards to the flour mess and imprecise dumpling cutting. I even made Ben come to the kitchen to watch and observe the craziness. He was impressed.
Continue rolling and cutting your dumplings, placing them on a platter. Add a heavy dusting of flour between each layer so they don’t stick together.
Bring the reserved chicken stock up to a boil and drop the dumplings in one by one, gently stirring so they won’t stick together. Don’t be afraid of getting too much flour into the broth – it’ll just make for that much more of a thick and creamy Chicken & Dumplings.
About 10 minutes later the dumplings should be plump and chewy. PERFECT! Stir in the reserved, shredded chicken, add more salt & pepper if necessary, then dish it on up!
Take THAT, winter!
I could NOT be more tickled with how well this dish turned out! The broth was thick and creamy, the dumplings were plump and chewy, and the chicken was tender and juicy.
You could totally make this dish in a snap by using store-bought chicken stock and chicken – but taking the time to slow cook the chicken and make your own stock is SO rewarding. A perfect Sunday afternoon activity!
Allison 12.07.2011
HA, I can’t imagine it being cold at night yet! It’s been a balmy 60-something here in the DC area lately but I heard a cold front it headed this-a-way :/ I’ve never had chicken and dumplings- is it a southern dish?! It looks so good!
Sara 12.07.2011
Sounds like you need a heated blanket…it’s the best thing I’ve ever bought! I turn it on about 5 minutes before I hop under the covers and BAM! warm cozy bed :)
Kris 12.07.2011
I have never wanted to try a recipe as much as I want to try this one! I can’t wait! Thanks so much!
Alison 12.07.2011
WOW! those chicken and dumplings sure look GOOD – I think I might just have to polish off my cooking skills and make that this weekend!! YUMMM
Deb Wilcox 12.07.2011
This is the most absolute comfort food. Great job on showing how to make it. I also do the skinny noodle trick the same way. My kids(grown and raised)still beg for it. Especially when under the weather.
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio 12.07.2011
I literally laughed out loud when I read the beginning of this post. Too funny! Your chicken and dumplings also looks awesome!! I know this is something my own Iowa boy would love. I personally love Pizza… soooo comforting for the Italian in me.
Kelcie 12.07.2011
I think chicken and noodles (skinnier (size) version of the dumplings you made) IS my ultimate comfort food. My mother’s mother taught me how many tens of years ago :)
Ashley 12.07.2011
Oh my! How did you know this is my favorite dish of all time!? I can’t wait to try this!
Courtney @ Cookin Up Life 12.07.2011
This is one of my favorites! This might just need to go on my weekend to-do list :) Stay warm!
Amanda 12.07.2011
I think my ultimate comfort food is cinnamon toast! With oodles of melty butter. MMMMM! But there are so many things that make me feel warm and cozy inside…
Kate @ Stripes and Polka Dots 12.07.2011
Mine is chicken pot pie or macaroni and cheese! Yum!
Erin @ Expert in Everything* 12.07.2011
My favorite comfort food is chicken and noodles – a slight variation on this, using eggs instead of butter in the dumpling mix, and slicing into skinny noodles. Served over mashed potatoes with a side of green beans…holy yum.
Caitlin 12.07.2011
My ULTIMATE comfort food is fluffy, buttery, garlic mashed potatoes:) When I got my wisdom teeth out it’s just about the only thing I ate for 2 weeks. Necessary? No way. Wondrous? Absolutely!
KellyK 12.07.2011
This looks really good – I totally love making my own stock too. I’ve never done the dumplings, and you make it look easy. I might have to try this – it would totally be a good dish for a December Sunday.
Jessica @ Stylish Stealthy and Healthy 12.07.2011
The ultimate comfort food to me has to be pizza. I could eat pizza every day. I mean there’s like a bazillion different kinds and it is the perfect compilation of all the food groups, and duh, it’s delicious.
Do work, pizza.
Jackie from M'town 12.07.2011
Homemade chicken and noodles drizzled over buttery mashed potatoes! Sinfully delish and warms to the toes! :)
Sally @ Sally Spins 12.07.2011
Hahaha…I hate when husbands fall asleep on the couch. Why do they do that? The bed is much more comfortable.
Teresa K. 12.07.2011
mmm – I had a Homer Simpson reaction to this blog – mmmmm drool – chicken & dumplings – (oh sorry my bad!.
Laugh at whomever is teasing you about the chickens – and ask are all humans female? hmmmm – now THERE’s a thought!
I don’t know about commercial chickens, but we almost never cooked our roosters when I was growing up, they were just too tough. (like bees – we kept them around for breeding purposes only)
brandy rushing 12.07.2011
MY favorite way to enjoy coffee or tea is, well, anyway I can get it. Sometimes fresh cream and a little sugar makes coffee oh so comforting, but other days, I want a simple black coffee to get me going (and not interfer with the sweet treat I mite be eating for breakfast. And tea, straight up, plus!
Trisha 12.07.2011
Prior to eating this post, I would’ve said that my ultimate comfort food was mashed potatoes and gravy. But now, I’m pretty sure it’s this chicken and dumplings dish! This looks SERIOUSLY amazing. My mom makes pretty much the same dish and I always want to try it myself, but I feel like I’d be calling her every 5 minutes to make sure I’m doing it right. Well, now I have a tutorial right here on IGE!
P.S. You should get a dog. They make the BEST replacement for husband heaters. ;)
Trisha 12.07.2011
LOL! I meant prior to *reading* this post. Obviously it made me so hungry that all I could think about was eating!